50th birthday party cruise

[CrossM2]

Hi All, I’m not new to cruising, we have been many times, many on RC. The problem is that I’m looking for a more southern Caribbean itinerary that leaves from a Florida port. We have done many of the RC itineraries. There will be probably 20 of us, varying in ages, 30 being youngest, 70 being oldest, bariting activity levels. We will pick the trip and everyone else will join. I also do not like too many days at sea. Looking for something different and fun for my 50th! Any ideas?

[katmu]

Are you definitely wanting to stay with RC, or are you willing to look at other lines?  For a multi-generational trip with the ages of your group RC could work, but I would also maybe look at Celebrity and Princess.  Both Celebrity and Princess both offer Southern Caribbean itineraries out of FLL.    Most Southern Caribbean itineraries from FLL or Miami are going to have either 3 or 4 sea days if you are doing a 10 day cruise.

[1025cruise]

You should look to see if there are any cruises leaving from San Juan of you want Southern.

[mom says]

56 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

You should look to see if there are any cruises leaving from San Juan of you want Southern.

Agree. Especially if you want fewer sea days.

[crystalspin]

4 hours ago, CrossM2 said:

Hi All, I’m not new to cruising, we have been many times, many on RC. The problem is that I’m looking for a more southern Caribbean itinerary that leaves from a Florida port. 

So when is the birthday/month??? Length of cruise desired?

 

San Juan departures (and I had one going into the shut-down) do throw an additional flight to and from, for each person.

 

ETA: welcome to Cruise Critic!

Edited July 25, 2023 by crystalspin

[CrossM2]

9 hours ago, katmu said:

Are you definitely wanting to stay with RC, or are you willing to look at other lines?  For a multi-generational trip with the ages of your group RC could work, but I would also maybe look at Celebrity and Princess.  Both Celebrity and Princess both offer Southern Caribbean itineraries out of FLL.    Most Southern Caribbean itineraries from FLL or Miami are going to have either 3 or 4 sea days if you are doing a 10 day cruise.

No not stuck on RC, that’s why I’m asking I’m sure there are other options, I’m just not aware of, have used Princess and NCL, did not care for NCL but that was a 3 day and I think it’s a different demographic 

[CrossM2]

8 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

You should look to see if there are any cruises leaving from San Juan of you want Southern.

Yes we have gone out of SJ in the past but we have a lot of people making the trip. I understand to get there will take a couple sea days, just looking to minimize it

[CrossM2]

5 hours ago, crystalspin said:

So when is the birthday/month??? Length of cruise desired?

 

San Juan departures (and I had one going into the shut-down) do throw an additional flight to and from, for each person.

 

ETA: welcome to Cruise Critic!

March or April of 2024. 7-10 days. I would say 7 max if we have to go out if SJ 

[caribsun]

Carnival Magic April 2024 8 days from Miami to Curacao, Aruba, Amber Cove and LA Romana with  3 days at sea. Balcony 1024.00 plus tax and fees. 

[Essiesmom]

I would suggest going to cruisetimetables.com and choose each Florida port and see what is sailing in your time frame.  EM

[lenquixote66]

15 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

You should look to see if there are any cruises leaving from San Juan of you want Southern.

We did a 50th.birthday cruise for my wife leaving from San Juan .We actually flew into PR and did a land tour first then the cruise and an additional land tour post cruise.

[MCC retired]

Have a Good TA help you decide and set up a group for you to get all the benefits of your own group as well as taking over answering questions and chasing down the collection of deposits and Final Payments.

Costs you nothing.

Edited July 25, 2023 by MCC retired

[Mike981]

53 minutes ago, MCC retired said:

Have a Good TA help you decide and set up a group for you to get all the benefits of your own group as well as taking over answering questions and chasing down the collection of deposits and Final Payments.

Costs you nothing.

 

100%

[crystalspin]

9 hours ago, CrossM2 said:

March or April of 2024. 7-10 days. I would say 7 max if we have to go out if SJ 

Holland America has the Southern Caribbean Seafarer out of Fort Lauderdale, 9 days, two sailings in March or March-April. Visits each of the A-B-C islands, and the private island Half Moon Cay. Four sea days in all (two going, two returning). Rotterdam is HAL's newest ship and should be good for your range of ages (no amusement park rides, though!). Itinerary:

Y422 9-DAY SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN SEAFARER (hollandamerica.com)

[trish1c]

I couldn't find a 7 day trip to the southern Carribean out of Miami for your dates.   There were a number of options for 8-13 days but all of them had at least 3 sea days. 

[CrossM2]

3 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Holland America has the Southern Caribbean Seafarer out of Fort Lauderdale, 9 days, two sailings in March or March-April. Visits each of the A-B-C islands, and the private island Half Moon Cay. Four sea days in all (two going, two returning). Rotterdam is HAL's newest ship and should be good for your range of ages (no amusement park rides, though!). Itinerary:

Y422 9-DAY SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN SEAFARER (hollandamerica.com)

You have cruised them before?

[crystalspin]

33 minutes ago, CrossM2 said:

You have cruised them before?

I have cruised eight times (nine cruises, one was a B2B) with Holland America; once and done with NCL, and once with Royal Caribbean. I would not rule out another RCL cruise, but they do not contact me so it's never come up, and also once you get to 4-star loyalty, it's hard to look around!

 

My first HAL cruise in 1999 (at age 41) was not an immediate hit, but that was certainly the travelling companions over a total of 10 or 11 seadays (Hawaii)! By the next one, ten years later, I was hooked! 

 

We sailed on Rotterdam's sister ship, the Koningsdam, last winter and we're booked on that ship next February! REALLY loved it. 

 

ETA: We took a family group including my very social 35-yo sister on a 14-day Alaska cruise on the much smaller HAL Zaandam in 2018. She LOVED IT. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by crystalspin

[CrossM2]

Anyone have any experience with Norwegian? We had a short cruise that was awful a few years back but they have a 9 day that looks great.

[crystalspin]

29 minutes ago, CrossM2 said:

Anyone have any experience with Norwegian? We had a short cruise that was awful a few years back but they have a 9 day that looks great.

Cruised the Panama Canal full-transit (FLL to LA) on the Norwegian Star in 2013. That was my one-and-done on NCL mentioned above! Yes, the N.Star is (or was?) an older smaller ship... but if you can't keep all of your ships nice and their crews happy, why would I want to give you a second chance?

 

My grandfather liked to say: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

[CrossM2]

Anyone cruised Regent?

[mammajamma2013]

16 hours ago, CrossM2 said:

Anyone have any experience with Norwegian? We had a short cruise that was awful a few years back but they have a 9 day that looks great.

I've cruised six times with Norwegian and have been very pleased. Seven days was our shortest cruise, fifteen our longest. 

 

Norwegian is offering a fifteen day that I would love to sail, but my husband prefers to go back to Princess. I'm not finding an interesting itinerary with them.

[aungrl]

6 hours ago, CrossM2 said:

Anyone cruised Regent?

Yes, I have, although not in the Caribbean.  Happy to answer any general questions if that would be useful.

[CrossM2]

6 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

I've cruised six times with Norwegian and have been very pleased. Seven days was our shortest cruise, fifteen our longest. 

 

Norwegian is offering a fifteen day that I would love to sail, but my husband prefers to go back to Princess. I'm not finding an interesting itinerary with them.

In fairness the one NCL we did was a 3 day Bahamas. 

[CrossM2]

5 hours ago, aungrl said:

Yes, I have, although not in the Caribbean.  Happy to answer any general questions if that would be useful.

Thank you. I was curious how they compare to Celebrity or RC? What types of activities are on board typically?

[CrossM2]

2 minutes ago, CrossM2 said:

In fairness the one NCL we did was a 3 day Bahamas. 

I love RC but I’ve been on all the itineraries